Preventing wire cable kinking

ABSTRACT

A cable to be straightened passes through a rotatably supported split cylinder formed with spiral grooves for mating relationship with the cable. The rotatable cylinder resides within a bearing block that resides in a support block. By pressing opposed support blocks together, pressure may be applied to the cable for straightening it as it translates through the split cylinder to cause the split cylinder to rotate and thereby help prevent kinking of the cable.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,768,525

Kirby Oct. 30, 1973 [54] PREVENTING WIRE CABLE KINKING FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS lnvenml'i Russell Kirby, 259 Center -1 729,047 5 1955 Great Britain 140 147 Abington, Mass. 0235l [22] Filed: Dec, 17, 1971 Primary Examiner-Lowell A. Larson Att --Ch l H k 21 Appl. No.2 209,216 ares [57] ABSTRACT 140,147 72/ A cable to be straightened passes through a rotatably supported Split cylinder formed with spiral grooves for [58] Field 0! Search 140/ ga 6 mating relationship with the cable. The rotatable cyl- I inder resides within a bearing block that resides in a support block. By pressing opposed support blocks to- [56] References Cited gether, pressure may be applied to the cable for UNITED STATES PATENTS straightening it as it translates through the split cylin- 3,l54,ll5 l0/l964 Bus] 140/147 der to cause the split cylinder to rotate and thereby 946,631 1 1910 Ballou t 72 77 help prevent kinking of the cable. 2,391,793 12 1945 Mische 140 147 3,264,855 8/1966 Turbett 140 147 8 Clams, 3 Drawmg Figures PREVENTING WIRE CABLE KINKING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to straightening wire cables and more particularly concerns novel apparatus and techniques for avoiding kinking while straightening a cable being transferred from a roll to a drum of a hoisting mechanism.

Large hoisting cranes require considerable lengths of wire cable when used for hoisting loads from ground level to the high levels of a skyscraper. It is important that these cables be wound tightly upon the drum of the hoisting crane without being twisted. The problem is difficult.

A typical prior art approach is that described in US. Pat. No. 3,l54,l 15. The cable passes between two plates that are clamped together and keep the cable in tension while cable is wound upon thedrum from a roll of cable. This technique tends to introduce twists in the cable, and steps must be taken to untwist the cable. Not infrequently the cable snaps. Such an event is extremely costly because splices are not permitted, and the work of a costly crew has been wasted.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to avoid the disadvantages enumerated above.

It is another object of the invention to provide methods and means for straightening wire cables when transferring wire cable from a roll to the drum of a hoisting crane without introducing kinks.

It is another object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with apparatus that is relatively inexpensive to fabricate and relatively easy to use.

It is another object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with apparatus that facilitates the transfer of wire cable from a roll thereof to the drum of a hoisting crane so as to keep labor costs and the time required for such a transfer relatively low.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, there is meansdefining a longitudinally segmented annular cylinder formed with spiral grooves inside, preferably of the same pitch as the wire cable to be surrounded, and means for rotatably supporting the longitudinally segmented annular cylinder while applying radial pressure thereto so as' to straighten a cable passing therethrough while allowing the cable to rotate as it translates therethrough.

Numerous other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the followingspecification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which: v p

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view through section 22 of DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference now to the drawing and more particularly FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention. A wire cable 10 to be straightened passes through the invention comprising first and second support blocks 11 and I2 fastened to a support plate 13 having a shackle 14 for fastening the assembly to some support by a cable, hook or other suitable means so that the assembly does not translate as wire cable is pulled upward therethrough.

Referring to FIG. 2, which is a partially sectional view through section 2-2 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 which is an exploded view of certain elements of the assembly, details of the invention will be better understood. Corresponding elements are identified by the same reference symbols throughout the drawing.

Support blocks 11 and 12 are essentially the same except that the former is formed with alignment pins 15 while the latter is formed with mating recesses (not shown). Each support block is formed with a semicylindrical bearing block recess such as 16 formed with a recess 17 for accommodating an alignment septum 18 when an associated bearing block 21 is seated therein. The second bearing block 21 has an alignment septum l8.

Bearing blocks 21 and 21 accommodate halves 22 and 22 of a split rotating cylinder that is clamped over wire cable 10 when assembled. Semicylindrical element 22 is essentially the same as element 22 except that the former includes alignment pins 23 for mating engagement in corresponding recesses (not shown) in element 22.

Preferably there are grease fittings 24 and 25 to facil- I itate lubricating the relatively moving surfaces between the bearing blocks 21 and 21 and the rotating cylinder formed by Semicylindrical elements 22 and 22.

The inside surfaces 26 and 26" of elements 22 and 22, respectively, are formed with spiral grooves corresponding substantially to the pitch of the wire cable 10.

The assembly is first disassembled and wire cable 10 fitted inside the split cylinder formed by elements 22 and 22'. The assembly is then clamped together by the nuts and bolts 27. As cable 10 moves upward, it .is

straightened, and kinks do not form because the split cylinder formed by elements 22- and 22 rotates with cable 10 as the cable passes through.

While semicylindrical bearing blocks are shown, it may be advantageous .to form the bearing blocks in-fo'ur pieces and provide means for applying pressure radially inward upon each bearing block. Such an arrangement may be advantageous when the pressures are so great that the circular opening tends to become elliptical when only two elements are employed.

There has been described novelapparatus and techniques for straightening wire cable when transferring the cable from a roll to a drum on a hoisting machine. The invention may also "be used in other cable straightening applications where is is desired to avoid kinking.

It is evident that those skilled in the art may now make numerous other modifications and variations of and departures from v the specific embodiments described herein without departing from the inventive concepts. Consequently, the invention is to be construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel combination of features present in or possessed by the apparatus and techniques herein disclosed and limited solely by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for straightening wire cables without kinking comprising,

means defining a longitudinally segmented hollow cylinder for mating engagement with a wire cable to be straightened,

and means for rotatably supporting said cylinder while applying radial pressure to said cylinder to permit said cylinder to rotate as wire cable passes therethrough in snug engagement therewith comprising means defining a hollow support block structure surrounding said cylinder.

2. Apparatus for straightening wire cable without kinking in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for rotatably supporting comprises,

first and second support blocks,

and means for selectively clamping said support blocks together with said longitudinally segmented cylinder surrounding a wire cable to be straightened therein.

3. Apparatus for straightening wire cable without kinking in accordance with claim 2 and further comprising means defining longitudinally segmented bearing means disposed radially between said cylinder and said support block structure,

means defining a plurality of grease fittings in at least one of said support blocks and grease passages in said bearing means for introducing lubricant to said cylinder to facilitate rotation thereof as said wire cable is pulled therethrough.

4. Apparatus for straightening wire cable without kinking in accordance with claim 1 wherein said longitudinally segmented cylinder is divided into like segments.

5. Apparatus for straightening wire cable without kinking in accordance with claim 4 wherein said longitudinally segmented cylinder is divided into two semicylindrical segments.

6. Apparatus for straightening wire cables without kinking in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising means for rotatably driving said cylinder about its cylindrical axis as said cable is pulled therethrough.

7. Apparatus for straightening wire cables without kinking in accordance with claim 6 wherein said cylinder comprises spiral grooves on the interior surface thereof,

the spiral groove pitch corresponding substantially to the pitch of the wire cable to be straightened.

8. Apparatus for straightening wire cables without kinking in accordance with claim 6 and further comprising means for fastening the apparatus against translational movement along or with the wire cable as it is pulled through the cylinder. 

1. Apparatus for straightening wire cables without kinking comprising, means defining a longitudinally segmented hollow cylinder for mating engagement with a wire cable to be straightened, and means for rotatably supporting said cylinder while applying radial pressure to said cylinder to permit said cylinder to rotate as wire cable passes therethrough in snug engagement therewith comprising means defining a hollow support block structure surrounding said cylinder.
 2. Apparatus for straightening wire cable without kinking in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for rotatably supporting comprises, first and second support blocks, and means for selectively clamping said support bLocks together with said longitudinally segmented cylinder surrounding a wire cable to be straightened therein.
 3. Apparatus for straightening wire cable without kinking in accordance with claim 2 and further comprising means defining longitudinally segmented bearing means disposed radially between said cylinder and said support block structure, means defining a plurality of grease fittings in at least one of said support blocks and grease passages in said bearing means for introducing lubricant to said cylinder to facilitate rotation thereof as said wire cable is pulled therethrough.
 4. Apparatus for straightening wire cable without kinking in accordance with claim 1 wherein said longitudinally segmented cylinder is divided into like segments.
 5. Apparatus for straightening wire cable without kinking in accordance with claim 4 wherein said longitudinally segmented cylinder is divided into two semicylindrical segments.
 6. Apparatus for straightening wire cables without kinking in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising means for rotatably driving said cylinder about its cylindrical axis as said cable is pulled therethrough.
 7. Apparatus for straightening wire cables without kinking in accordance with claim 6 wherein said cylinder comprises spiral grooves on the interior surface thereof, the spiral groove pitch corresponding substantially to the pitch of the wire cable to be straightened.
 8. Apparatus for straightening wire cables without kinking in accordance with claim 6 and further comprising means for fastening the apparatus against translational movement along or with the wire cable as it is pulled through the cylinder. 